The Southern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons is coordinating activities and proactively identifying and supporting issues that impact practicing surgeons and patients at the state and national levels.  This is in collaboration with all three CA chapters formally termed the Joint Advocacy Committee of the ACS California Chapters (JAC-ACSCC). 

This year we built on the successful passage of AB 2260-Emergency Response: Trauma Kits, which placed bleeding control kits in newly constructed building.  Assembly member Rodriguez introduced both AB 70-Emergency response: trauma kits and AB 71-Pupil instruction: bleeding control.  This expands placement of bleeding control kits to renovated buildings and requires school districts to provide information on bleeding control on their websites.  SCCACS and the JAC-ACSCC is supporting both AB 70 and 71.

As surgeons we continue to care for patients with firearm related injuries and deaths.  The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and the Association for the Surgery of Trauma have both provided statements and recommendations outlining strategies to increase firearm safety and reduce firearm related violence (Statement on fire arms – The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (aast.org) and (https://journals.lww.com/journalacs/Fulltext/2019/02000/Recommendations_from_the_American_College_of.7.aspx).  It is in the spirit that the SCCACS and the JAC-ACSCC is supporting AB 28-Gun Violence Prevention, Healing and Recovery Act which places a tax on firearm and ammunition sales.  The revenue will support efforts including research and programs aimed at decreasing firearm related injuries.  This bill will not penalize firearm sellers or otherwise discourage lawful firearm sales. 

The SCCACS Advocacy Committee will continue to respond to member concerns and requests as we continue to engage in advocacy and support surgeons and patients. 

SCCACS Advocacy Committee

Chair – Sigrid Burruss, MD, FACS
Loma Linda University

Thomas Duncan, DO, FACS
Ventura County Medical Center

Sammy Eghbalieh, MD, FACS
Southern CA Multispecialty Center

Lorrain Kelley-Quon, MD, FACS
CHLA/USC

Hari Keshava, MD
UCI

John Lam, MD, FACS
Southern CA Permanente Medical Group